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Success: It’s subjective and isn’t linear

Success isn’t linear

It took me a while before I understood that their is usually no straightforward path to success. The path to success to is a winding, sometimes invisible one that, depending on your circumstances may need to be created from scratch. It’s a journey, one where only the strength of your resolve will aid you in reaching your destination.

Our troubles prepare us for the end goal

Example,

My past inability to effectively manage my finances in times of a drought have greatly improved my ability to handle money (when I say drought, I’m talking about being unemployed.) When I was younger, I’d for some reason gotten myself to believe that money had no value ; even though I had bills. Obviously I would constantly be in search of finances because, due to my lack of money management skills I would always overspend and place myself in a hole.This thought process wasn’t going to work very well when I started my career. The beginning of my career will be full of periods where I’ll have no idea when I’ll get another paycheck; This means that money management skills will be essential.

Or,

The story is kind of funny but, when I was in the 10th grade I got hit by a car. (I’ll spare you guys the details, all I will say is that it was a minivan and it was only going about 3-4 mph.) Now, I got hit by this car for one reason, I wasn’t paying attention. This is bad because of the implications that it has on my future. Imagine I’m about to make a deal with someone and I’m being careless or otherwise not paying attention during the process. I could end up getting screwed, resulting in a loss of money, and that’s not okay (also goes into the money-management skills). So, even though this was a somewhat painful experience, it was very helpful. Now I pay attention to everything for fear of overlooking something potentially dangerous.

There’s a reason why it takes so long

Have you guys ever heard the statistic that most people don’t hit the apex of their careers until they get to their 30’s, early 40’s? If so, I believe that I just explained why. During the first few parts of their lives they are figuring out everything that pertains to their careers. The understanding and the process coupled with a bit of luck is what helps them reach their goals.